by cena » Mon Feb 23, 2015 12:23 pm
My personal advice as mom who breastfed my 10 kids:
Try to breastfeed longer than 6 months. For the best nutrition I went for at least a year, and most of my babies nursed to around 18 months to 2 years.
Around 6 months I gave them bites (little tastes) of food we were eating at our table, fruits and veggies. Mostly items that were already soft. They have no need to eat solids if they have no teeth. They were still nursing full time. Sweet potatoes, rice, oatmeal, white potatoes, bananas, avocados.
At 9 to 12 months we gave them more volume of solid food at out mealtimes, breakfast, lunch and dinner time. The rest of the time, pre-naps and pre-bedtime, and additionally when needed, I would nurse. They got plenty of both worlds and it is nutritionally sound.
After 12 months they ate when hungry from healthy foods, starches and fruits and vegetables. My kids got a little meat back in the day, but they mostly didn't prefer it. I nursed at naptime and bedtime for the most part.
They lost interest and were eating plenty of solid food by 18 months, and I mostly let them completely wean as they desired.
None of my kids had juice or any other milks/drinks except water. My kids started drinking water around the same age as eating more volume of solid food. From a cup, not a bottle.
I am a believer that breastmilk is the best food for babies. I believe early weaning is detrimental to sound nutrition. It is a natural progression to nurse and give solid foods for a year or 2. I do not believe any baby should be fed formula except for the emergency cases of none available. I don't believe that our human children should drink the milk of another species, that other milk is not designed for them. I also never fed my kids jarred baby food. My husband stated that HE would not want to eat canned food all day every day... this made sense to me.
Nursing longer means that they get the nutrition from what YOU are eating for a longer period of time. It's true that you will not necessarily get a child to eat large amounts of kale early on. But if you are eating your broccoli and greens, then so are they, if you are nursing. And as you give them little bites of greens and other foods (that they see you eating too) they will slowly eat more and more of it as the months go by.
If you plan on the possibility of being intimidated by a standard American diet pediatrician, find one who supports a vegan diet. Change doctors, and let them know why. As more and more parents want the support, it will become more available.
I hope you are blessed with wisdom and peace and happiness in the raising of your baby. Babies are awesome miracles.